Communications of the ACM
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Researchers Develop Webcam Tool to Improve Posture of Office Workers
A multidisciplinary team at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has developed a desktop Webcam tool that could help improve the ergonomic posture of office workers and reduce their risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD).
The team developed the automated frequent-feedback system as a training tool, which displays a Webcam photo of the current posture of a worker alongside a photo of correct posture. During testing, 60 workers received conventional and Webcam training, but photo-training was the only method to offer sustained improvement in posture over time. The photo-training method was more effective for women.
"To maintain the effectiveness of an ergonomic intervention for the long term, the intervention should be a continuous process, which includes frequent feedback," according to the researchers. "This new ergonomic method can also result in preventing MSD among workers and reduce financial loss to their employers." The research recommends installing the self-modeling, photo-training software on the computers of workers to provide frequent and long-term feedback on sitting posture.
From Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
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